Some of the most disadvantaged primary schools in the country are set to see the largest impact of funding cuts announced in last week's Budget, one teachers' union has warned.

The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) said such establishments would be "devastated" by the planned austerity measures, the Journal reports.

It claimed that hidden away in the details of the cuts are proposals that will see hundreds of educators in disadvantaged facilities reallocated, with many of these going to schools in better off areas.

General secretary of INTO Sheila Nunan said that "teachers are frontline when it comes to services to disadvantaged children" and called on Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn to rethink the proposals.

RTE reports Mr Quinn is set to meet with school principals from a number of disadvantaged schools in Dublin today (December 13th) in order to discuss the situation, where he is expected to be urged to reverse the cuts.

INTO also criticised proposals for new class sizes in these establishments of 22 pupils as "simply inadequate", as it noted this number is still higher than the EU average.

Written by Donal Walsh

Comments

SoNS

(16/03/2012 01:27)

Dear Supporters of our children, we call on you once again. Please share socially or verbally our goal to protect our small schools with family, friends and wider community. Simply distribute our online posters/flyers or word of mouth. We the people have our children's future in our hands. Lets us make the correct decision where our representatives fail us all. Thank you. SoNS.

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